ALL NOVEL Chapter 1 - (illustraion)
Chapter 1
—–CROW—–
Our family was a rare sight these days: a large one.
Five siblings in all, with me, the third child, Ji-gu, sandwiched between two older sisters and two younger ones.
People were always surprised when they heard this, figuring even with our comfortable lifestyle, it was a lot.
They’d often chatter about how we must never be bored at home.
‘The reality is we all hole up in our own rooms and never come out.’
Contrary to everyone’s expectations of a bustling household, we were, true to our MZ generation, fiercely individualistic.
Since we were well-off, everyone had their own room, and once even the youngest became an adult, we saw each other even less.
‘Different lifestyles, different tastes, hobbies, personalities…it’s only natural, I guess.’
Well, among us, Ji-gu was particularly isolated.
Sometimes, when the family gathered in the living room, my two older sisters would naturally huddle together, talking shop, and my two younger sisters would chat about university, leaving me no room to squeeze in.
‘I’m the only guy. I could talk all night about the army or post-discharge student life worries.’
Hmm, even I think that would be boring.
Being the odd one out couldn’t be helped.
It wasn’t that I, Ji-gu, felt particularly lonely or sad now.
I was just flipping through old photo albums after being discharged from the military, lost in memories of what it was like when we were younger.
‘It seemed nice when Mom and Dad were both home.’
The memories were hazy because I was so young. Both of them had frequent business trips since we were in kindergarten.
‘And Dad… I’ll never see him again.’
My parents often traveled for work, both domestically and internationally.
Then one day, we received the news that Dad had been in a serious accident and was gone forever.
We were only elementary school students at the time.
Old enough to understand the concept of death, but not mature enough to accept it.
‘Was that when we started drifting apart? Mom… she was always busy, but after that day, she hardly ever came home.’
As an adult, Ji-gu understood now.
Emotionally, it must have been difficult for her to set foot in a house without Dad, and practically, she had to work tirelessly to raise five children.
Still, the lingering feelings of longing, regret, and resentment…it was probably just the late-night mood making me sentimental.
I closed the album, scratched my head, and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water.
“Oh, Noona.”
“Ji-gu! You’re still awake?”
“What about you, Noona…? What are you doing up at this hour?”
I ran into Su-jeong Noona, my eldest sister, while getting a glass. She approached, flipping her wavy hair over her shoulder.
She was wearing an old tank top and short dolphin shorts as pajamas, and I subtly averted my gaze from the slightly tight fabric.
“It’s 1 AM, don’t you have work tomorrow?”
Su-jeong Noona, thinking it was too dark for me to see, had left her chest bare, without a bra. I kept my eyes respectfully on the floor, the table, and then the clock.
“I took tomorrow off. Mom asked us all to make some time.”
“Mom…? She contacted you?”
“Yeah, she posted it in the family group chat yesterday… you didn’t read it again, did you?”
“Uh, sorry. I turned off the notifications after getting nagged about the recycling last time.”
“Honestly. I would have told you in person if I saw you, but you barely show your face… Are you avoiding your Noona?”
Su-jeong Noona pouted and took a step closer. She reached out and stroked my hair, and though embarrassed, I didn’t dodge her touch.
“Even if you turn off notifications, check it once a day. We’ll regret it later if we distance ourselves too much as a family, okay?”
“Yeah… Sorry, Noona.”
“It’s not that big of a deal. Hehe, our Ji-gu, are you short on allowance these days?”
“Noona, the army pays well these days! What are you talking about to someone freshly discharged?”
“Hmm, that’s right. This little guy already finished his military service… time flies.”
“We’re only three years apart! Aren’t you treating me like a baby?”
“Three whole years. I practically raised you from when you were little.”
“Save that for the youngest… I do appreciate it, though.”
Embarrassed, I thanked her, borrowing the night air as a buffer.
After all, it was Su-jeong Noona, the eldest, who acted as our guardian in our parents’ absence.
As I scratched my cheek and looked away, gulping down water as if to cover my mouth, Su-jeong Noona giggled and circled around in front of me.
“Hehe, our Ji-gu has really grown up, hasn’t he? Saying such things so casually.”
“D-don’t get so close. It’s embarrassing.”
“Why? Are you shy about confessing your love to your Noona? Aww~.”
“L-love confession? Don’t overreact to a thank you.”
“Oh, so our Ji-gu was embarrassed~.”
“Stop with that tone. Save that for the youngest, ugh.”
As if enjoying teasing me, she patted my butt and puckered her lips.
The baby-talk cooing (‘ujju-jju’) sounds were embarrassing enough, but the hand patting my ass was even more shameful, and moreover… it was troublesome how noona’s chest kept touching against my chest.
‘Be careful. You’re a grown woman.’
I briefly worried, as a younger brother, about whether she acted like this outside too.
Figuring this wouldn’t end well, I put down my glass and pulled Su-jeong Noona into a hug.
“Eek?! J-Ji-gu?”
“Noona, you’ve… worked hard. Thanks for always taking care of us.”
“Huh? Oh, hehe… This is how it feels. It’s really embarrassing to be praised back.”
“You’ve been teasing me all this time, and now you’re embarrassed?”
“I didn’t hug you like this… Hmm. Our Ji-gu has really grown up, haha.”
It was cute seeing her flustered after being on the receiving end of her own playful attacks. Figuring I’d gotten enough revenge, I released her, but then I heard someone coming down the stairs from the second floor.
“…What’s going on? What are you two doing?”
“Oh, Geum-bi Noona.”
“Oh my, Geum-bi, what are you doing up? What are you all doing up so late?”
“I’m not usually like this. I was up late having fun because it’s a rare day off… But what are you two doing in the middle of the night?”
It was Geum-bi Noona, our second eldest sister, who entered the kitchen. Her hair, tied down on one side, swayed with her steps. Her unwavering gaze, however, felt like it was piercing me.
“Ji-gu, you’re not doing anything weird to your sister, are you?”
“What? No, no! That’s impossible!”
“Hmm~ Good. It’s a dangerous world out there.”
Geum-bi Noona, apparently also wanting water, passed us and filled a glass from the water purifier. Her warning seemed more perfunctory than suspicious.
‘Her naturally sharp eyes are intimidating. Phew, I needlessly got my heart racing in the middle of the night.’
Since there was no reason to keep hugging, I let Su-jeong Noona go. However, she didn’t move away, instead reaching out to rub my earlobe and whisper,
“I guess you really have grown up, Ji-gu. You’re getting all sorts of strange misunderstandings now, hehe.”
“…Do you find this funny? You don’t act like this outside, do you?”
“Why? Are you worried?”
“Of course. Sigh, Noona, you’re too affectionate, it’s a problem.”
“I’m not like this with other people. It’s because we’re family.”
I assumed as much. But since only Su-jeong Noona closed the distance like this even with me, her brother, I couldn’t help but worry more than usual.
“…You two are really clinging to each other.”
“Oh my, Geum-bi, do you want a hug too? Our second child was lonely~.”
“No thanks, don’t cling to me needlessly. It’s hot.”
“Aw, don’t be shy. Come here, there, there~.”
“Ugh, Noona, stop it! Ugh, really…”
Fortunately, Su-jeong Noona’s attention shifted to Geum-bi Noona, and I took the opportunity to quickly retreat to my room. Su-jeong Noona was fine, but Geum-bi Noona would definitely say something if she kept watching this.
‘Geum-bi Noona is really scary when she’s angry. Better stay out of trouble.’
If Su-jeong Noona was the comforting, motherly figure, Geum-bi Noona, the second eldest, was the one who maintained order in the house.
Watching the two sisters, so different despite being only a year apart, I returned to my room and checked the family group chat.
“She really did post it. Tomorrow at 10, video call in the living room… What? Mom isn’t back yet?”
I thought she might have returned to Korea, but it seemed she was still abroad. A flicker of the loneliness I’d felt with the album resurfaced, but the warmth from Su-jeong Noona’s hug lingered in my chest, quickly calming me down.
‘…Even so, she’s too carefree. This is why I can’t go to the second floor.’
I glanced at the second floor where my sisters’ rooms were.
Quietly closing my door, I prepared for bed… but instead, I dove into YouTube Shorts. Thanks to Su-jeong Noona, my sentimental mood had lifted. It felt like a waste to go to sleep right away. Time to enjoy the freedom I couldn’t have in the military.
I finally fell asleep around 5 AM.
At 9 AM, I was jolted awake by Geum-bi Noona throwing open my door.
“What were you doing up all night? Get up, quick, tsk.”
Watching Geum-bi Noona yell from the doorway without coming in, I thought, ‘This is the proper distance between siblings…’ as I rubbed my eyes and snuggled back into bed.
We weren’t meeting until 10, so I still had 30 minutes to spare.
-That thought vanished five minutes later when Geum-bi Noona hurled a sofa pillow at me.
—–CROW—–
*Su-jeong*